Birthday Surprises
by Mileharo Kerran
Summary: Sai comes to Sakura's house the evening of her sweet sixteenth. Fluffy oneshot.


_A/N: Just a fluffy little oneshot for all the SaiSak fans out there. I am trying to finish the next chapter for Asymptotic Perfection, and I discovered this little piece that I had lying around in here, which I completely forgot about. Read and enjoy! Don't forget I gave you the fluff warning, heheh. _

*******

"Hello, Sai. What brings you here tonight?"

"Hello, Hag. Naruto told me a few weeks ago that it's your birthday today, and I've been looking for you all day. I was here earlier, but your mother told me you were still out, but then you weren't in the hospital, either, so I figured I'd just come back here later, and here I am. I just came by to give this to you."

Almost sheepishly, he brought his hands forward from behind him, and handed Sakura something which, upon closer inspection, she saw was wrapped rather clumsily in wrinkled silver paper.

"O-oh. Is this a birthday present? That's so nice of you, Sai!" She took the gift and beamed at him, feeling positively tickled at this late surprise. She had an idea of what was inside: something flat and wide like this, coming from Sai, could only be a painting.

"Yes, Naruto helped me wrap it before he left. Do you like it?" He was smiling now, his eyes crinkled like a little boy's, pleased with himself. Sakura observed how Sai was getting better at giving sincere smiles nowadays. "Aren't you going to open it? Do you want me to help you open it? I used a lot of tape, see, `cause the corner won't lie flat. It's just a painting of –"

Sakura covered his mouth with her palm just in time to stop him from ruining the surprise. "Shh, don't tell me! I'm opening it now."

Sai didn't lie when he said he used a lot of tape, and it took Sakura quite a while to unwrap her present, while Sai stood on the balls of his feet, smiling his crinkly-eyed smile as bits of silver paper fell around them.

In the faint light, Sakura brought the painting, small and framed in plain wood, closer to her face. It was an image of a woman's back, with her head turned to one side. She was smiling softly as she held a single large sunflower close to her face. It seemed as if the figure was dancing barefoot in the sand as the wind whipped her hair and her simple short white dress against her, and she seemed so… at peace. There was very little color, just the soft pink of her choppy, shoulder-length hair, a sparkle of aquamarine in the single eye exposed in profile, and the vibrant yellow of the flower's petals, which seemed to jump out of the canvas.

"Sai… it's beautiful. I don't know what to say," she whispered breathlessly, with no hint of a smile on her face. Her eyes suddenly felt too wet, and she caught herself sniffling.

"Don't you… don't you like it?" Sai asked, confused by the grave expression on her face.

Her eyes flew to his, and she hastened to reassure him. "Oh, no, it's not that… it's… it's wonderful, Sai, and I love it!" Impulsively she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Sai. You've made me so happy tonight." As she drew back, her smile was full, and her eyes were shining.

"Oh," said Sai rather softly, and scratched his head. "That's great, then."

They stood in silence for a few awkward moments, and then Sakura said, "Here's another lesson for you, Sai. When it's a person's birthday, he or she usually gets a kiss."

"Really?" asked Sai, his eyes going wide. "I've never heard of that before."

Sakura chuckled. "I thought so. So? Aren't you going to give me my birthday kiss?" She closed her eyes playfully, and held her cheek out to him.

She certainly did not expect what came next.

Instead of kissing her on her upturned cheek, Sai's lips touched hers lightly, almost hesitantly, and the moment they did, her eyes flew open. It was a dry, closed-mouth kiss, and his lips were unbelievably soft against her own. His eyes were open, and she could see into their inky depths as the kiss lengthened, though Sai never moved nor breathed, just stood there with his lips mashed to hers.

Just when she was getting out of breath, Sai drew back. Sakura felt light-headed, and tingly, and discovered her bare toes were curled rather tightly on the cool floor. She put her hand against the doorjamb, and breathed shakily, looking everywhere but Sai's face.

"Did I… did I do that right?" he asked in a low voice. "I've never kissed a girl before, see."

Sakura let out a weak chuckle, and said, "Neither have I. A boy. I mean kissed a boy. Never kissed a boy before." She realized she was babbling, and felt her face burn hotter.

"I guess I should get going, then," he said. In the weak light, Sakura saw that his normally paper-pale face was tinged pink.

"A-alright. Thanks again for the gift. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay. Goodbye, Hag." He backed away slowly and held up a hand. "See you."

As he closed the low wooden gate behind him, Sakura called out, "Good night, Sai." She watched him walk down the street, her present clutched tightly in her hand. A few meters away, he stopped and looked back.

"I amost forgot," he said. "Since it's your birthday, I thought up a new nickname for you."

"Eh?" Her brows came together. _Don't ruin this lovely night, idiot._

"Yeah. It's `Snot-Face'." He smiled in the distance.

Silence.

And then –

"I really think you should get going, Sai."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"G'night, Snot-Face."

*******

In her bedroom, she propped Sai's present against the lampshade on her nightstand, right next to where the old photograph of the original Team Seven stood. She stared at the moonlit painting the long time it took for her to fall asleep.

That night, her sleep was long, and unbroken by dreams.

*******


End file.
